Bang Bang Tattoos

In December 2009, Rihanna got her personal motto “Never a failure, Always a lesson” tattooed along the right side of her chest. It’s written backwards so she can read it in the mirror. Artist Bang Bang said:

“I asked her why she wanted that and she said, ‘It’s kind of my motto in life for everything.’ Instead of considering things to be mistakes, considering them lessons…. She said that she wanted to do it in gray, rather than black, because she wanted it to be more subtle…. She didn’t want it to draw too much attention.”

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One of Rihanna’s most visible and famous tattoos was inked in 2008. It was started by a tattoo artist in L.A, then finished in New York by her favorite tattoo artist Bang Bang. The stars match former boyfriend Chris Brown’s trio of stars behind his ear. (more…)

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One of Cara Delevingne’s newest tattoo was unveiled on Instagram on October 1, 2016 and revealed a pair of eyes eyes on the back of her neck. The artwork was designed to give the illusion that the tattooed eyes are following the viewers around the room when they move from side to side.

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In June 2008, Rihanna got another finger tattoo. This one is the most copied of her tattoos. It was copied by Lindsay Lohan and Lily Allen, who were unaware at the time that she had it, Cher Lloyd, and many of Rihanna’s fans has also decided to get one exactly like Rihanna’s. The premise is that the tattoo will be revealed when you hold your finger to your lips to shush someone.

Artist Bang Bang shared a picture of the tattoo in 2015 and wrote:

The “Shhh” tattoo is many years old- done in one shot, no touch up needed. If you’re thinking of getting you’re finger tattooed and have heard they “fade” or “fall out” I’ll say, Yes, they can fade during the healing process- though if done properly, they can be great, and last a lifetime?

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In 2007, Rihanna got a Sanskrit prayer going down her right hip. The tattoo was supposed to translate to “forgiveness, honesty, suppression and control”, a quote from the Sanatana Dharma. Unfortunately, the tattoo was misspelled and translated to “long suffering, truthfulness, self-restraint, inward calm, fear and fearlessness” instead. In addition to the incorrect translation, the text of her tattoo is also missing the rest of the original prayer, which reads “pleasure, pain, birth, death.”

This was the first time tattoo that she got from Bang Bang, who has since become her go-to artist. He credits Rihanna with introducing him to a slew of celebrity clients and launching his career to the next level. But before she was the jewel of his portfolio, she was just a girl who walked into his shop off the street and asked a lot of questions about piercings and tattoos. He didn’t recognize who she was and didn’t treat her any differently, and she loved that he was honest with her. In fact he was so brutally honest that he told her it was a bad idea to get the Sanskit text on the back of her leg where she wanted it.

“I remember thinking, this guy is gangsta as fuck. He doesn’t give a fuck about me—he doesn’t know who I am and that is brilliant. So that’s why I wanted him to do my tattoo. I knew he wasn’t going to try any funny shit or act crazy; he was just going to do my tattoo.”

“I was surprised when he wouldn’t put my first tattoo where I wanted it to go—up the back of my leg—but I was so shocked that I was actually open to his idea of moving it, and I’m glad I did. I was still early on in my tattoo game, so I trusted him as an expert more than I trusted myself because I didn’t know. When you’re well known, it can be hard knowing who to trust, but I trusted Bang Bang from the first time he tattooed me.”

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Florence Welch got this incredibly detailed cross tattoo on the back of her right hand from artist Bang Bang in June 2015. “Between a crucifix and the Hollywood sign……” she wrote on her instagram, “SET OUR HEARTS ABLAZE ThankYou England…..sorry mum.”

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Adele got three tattoos done in one sitting by tattoo artist Bang Bang in June 2013. She got her son’s name “Angelo” on her right hand, “Paradise” on her left hand, and a number 5 on her finger. The finger tattoo has not been found by the public (and we’ve searched hard for it!), but Bang Bang revealed it’s existence in an interview with Yahoo: “She got the number five on the inside of one of her fingers, and I’m not sure if pop culture has picked up on that one yet. She got three that day.” Adele already knew what tattoos she wanted when she showed up in Bang Bang’s studio and she worked together with the artist on deciding the font, thickness, and other subtleties. She also took hold of the gun herself and tattooed a number “21” on Bang Bang’s leg.

Adele took time off between her albums 21 and 25 in order to take care of Angelo, who is her first child. But now that she back in the business she says that her son keeps her grounded. She explained to Today that she wasn’t worried about going on tour because she and her son will remain extremely close:

“My son comes everywhere with me. We’re all good. He’s the first person that I see in the morning and the last person that I see at night and vice-versa. So we’re all good. I make time for him like I always have. That’s one of the main reasons that I’ve been away for so long is because I was like ‘no, my kid is more important.’ My kid comes first and my music comes second. And I come second.”

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This “Paradise” tattoo on Adele’s left hand goes with the “Angelo” tattoo on her right hand, symbolizing that her son Angelo is her paradise. She had both tattoos done in the same session in June 2016, but at the time artist Bang Bang only released a photo of the “Paradise” tattoo since Adele was still keeping her son’s name private. The matching “Angelo” tattoo remained unseen for quite a while as Adele was taking a break from music at the time.

Lana Del Rey has a “Paradise” tattoo in the same spot on her hand which she has had for years, but Adele didn’t intend to copy. She says that she didn’t know about Lana Del Rey’s tattoo when she got hers and only learned after the fact. “She probably thinks I’m, like, some mad fangirl,” Adele joked in an interview with Rolling Stone. “I mean, I am a Lana fangirl, but not a crazy one.”(more…)

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In September 2011, Ashley Tisdale went with best friend Vanessa Hudgens to get tattooed by Bang Bang – who’s also inked the likes of Rihanna and Katy Perry. They didn’t opt for matching tattoos, instead Ashley got “jamais seule” tattooed on her foot, which is a French phrase meaning “never alone”, and Vanessa got the “Om” symbol on her hands. Ashley got the tattoo carefully placed so that it shows even when she is wearing heels.(more…)

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Demi Lovato’s rib cage tattoo saw it’s third incarnation in September 2016, courtesy of artist Bang Bang. With each update the tattoo has grown larger and now the huge piece covers her whole side.

The tattoo began with the lyrics “you make me beautiful” from the Bethany Dillon song “Beautiful.” This was Demi’s very first tattoo which she got when she was only sixteen. The tattoo has religious meaning to Demi, reminding her that she can find confidence in knowing that God has made her perfect. A few years later, in 2011, she added a pair of feathers behind the writing.

For the latest update, Bang Bang drew a dream catcher around the lyrics, using the previous pair of feathers as part of the dreamcatcher while also adding three more smaller feathers floating at the bottom and some strands of beads. None of the beads or feathers are attached to each other, giving the design a light and ephemeral feeling.